Image source, Getty Images

Barry Hawkins is in the box seat against Mark Williams on the other table.

The match had been fairly evenly poised up to the eighth frame with the score at 8-8 but Hawkins managed to put some daylight between himself and the Welshman a strong run of frames, combining handy break-building with fine tactical play.

Williams, with his experience and grit, will be a threat but will need a significant comeback in the final session to turn the contest around.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan on facing John Higgins in the last 16: "I was saying just hanging around this venue I feel kind of old now because everyone is 22, 23, it's like walking into a creche but we are a couple of oldies still hanging around and having a go.

"I am not the player I was and probably never will be but as long as I can enjoy the game..I am starting to enjoy it again. I am getting through the ball but still not good enough to win these events, I have to rely on a bit of luck.

"John loves playing me. I think he plays better than me than I play against him. I think in a way I will be a bit of an underdog because I've hardly played over the last three years compared to John. He's probably favourite but it's a different type of pressure."

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Four

This is snooker's El Clasico. This is Real Madrid v Barcelona. It's Frazier v Ali and unlike boxers in their 50s these two can still throw a punch.

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at the Crucible

Image source, Michael Emons

The weather throughout most of the first week has been superb in Sheffield and it is again today, with Tudor Square heaving with people in the deckchairs preparing to watch on the big screen.

There will be 1,000 people inside the Crucible, and hundreds outside it.

Anything would think there were a couple of pretty decent matches on.

Get comfortable. A great night of entertainment is coming up.

Image source, Getty Images

With comprehensive television coverage across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four, and uninterrupted streaming on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, audiences won't miss a moment from the first break to the final frame.

Legends of the game Hendry, Steve Davis, John Parrott, Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor will offer their expert analysis throughout the tournament.

The BBC Sport website and app will provide daily coverage via live streams and live text pages, including updates from our reporters at the Crucible.

BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will have regular updates throughout the Championship.

BBC Sport social media channels will deliver behind-the-scenes content as well as highlight clips from the tournament and player interviews.

Image source, Getty Images

With the afternoon session concluded live coverage of the World Snooker Championship on BBC Sport website and on iPlayer has taken a short break.

We will also pause this live text commentary as well.

However, you do not have to wait long until the evening session which gets underway at 19:00 BST and it promises to be a cracker as Ronnie O'Sullivan plays John Higgins in a battle of the Class of 92.

The other member of that vintage, Mark Williams, will also resume his match with Barry Hawkins. Williams is 10-6 down and has it all to do to keep his Crucible dreams alive.

You'll be able to watch the action on BBC Four and via the iPlayer, and follow updates here.

The number of balls potted by Judd Trump in comparison to Hossein Vafaei shows how much he shot himself in the foot throughout that session.

The only statistic that really matters though is the scoreline and we're all tied up heading into Sunday.

Judd Trump levels things up in style and ends the session with the first century of the match-up.

A 115 break from the former world champion takes his career century tally to 1,149 and ensures we'll go into Sunday's session all square.

Not that the world number one ever shows any nerves, but that will settle him right down after losing three straight frames.

His opponent Hossein Vafaei can take great credit for how he played in that session and probably would have taken 4-4 if offered it beforehand.

Expect plenty more twists and turns to come in this one on Sunday afternoon.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion

Judd has plotted his own downfall in these last three frames. Since the interval, he should have won every frame and he's thrown all three away.

Stephen Hendry
Seven-time world champion

What a fabulous comeback. He's had help from his opponent but he's still had to do it.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

An excellent final frame from Ding Junhui and what a brilliant session of snooker that was. He is very much in the match and it's all to play for tomorrow. A cracking match.

And just like that, Hossein Vafaei takes the lead for the first time with a break of 65.

This one is so tough to call. I was all ready to write about Judd Trump halting the Iranian's momentum around 10 minutes ago but a miscue from the former world champion let the 31-year-old in and he never looked back.

This is a gutsy, gutsy performance from 'The Prince of Persia'.

Ding Junhui brings his A-game when it matters to keep himself into the contest.

A four-frame deficit would have left him facing an uphill struggle but a break of 69 in the last of the session has sliced Zhao Xintong's lead to two.

This one is far from over heading into tomorrow.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

These end-of-session frames at the Crucible always seem massive.

A far from fluent frame from Zhao Xintong, who is unable to compile a substantial break, but it's another which has gone his way.

The world champion collects 88 points unanswered to move three ahead of his fellow countryman.

Ding Junhui needs to dig deep now or this match could get away from him before tomorrow's final session.

Well, well, well. We're all squared up.

And it all comes from a Judd Trump miss again, this time on the red.

Hossein Vafaei is playing some top level snooker and capitalising on every opportunity that comes his way so far.

A 66 break gets him on his way to the frame win and ties the contest up.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

That is exactly what was needed from Ding Junhui because the match was getting away from him. He could have put the frame away earlier but he get over the line.

Ding Junhui with the perfect response.

The 39-year-old disrupts the pack and is able to milk the black en route to a break of 69.

He misses a red which would have left Zhao Xintong needing snookers and a safety exchange follows after the world champion edges up to 15.

However, Ding manages to graft his way to 84 points and Zhao is happy to concede the frame.